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Jimmy Carter Told Trump How to Put America First, But Will He Do It?

With President Jimmy Carter’s passing and Donald Trump about to return to the White House, it’s a good time to recall a phone conversation that Carter had with Trump during his first term. Carter’s advice would serve Trump well if…

War on Gaza Crystalizes Israel’s Image

Modern Israel attracts much attention from analysts and the public but our ability to understand it is hindered by ideology, prejudice, and myth. Many tread carefully when discussing Israel lest they be accused of antisemitism. In an earlier article, I…

Elul: Self-Examination or Self-Righteousness?

“This past year has proven how fragile and precious life can be.” Rabbi Moshe Taragin, educator and author, begins his recent article with these words. It is written during the Hebrew month of Elul, which, this year, began in September.…

President Trump: Canadian identity is not defined by his commercial trades

Now or never master in our house! was the French-speaking Quebec liberal Party slogan in 1962 The US elected President Donald Trump’s threat Trudeau government over the last few weeks to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports to the…

A Reflection on 2024 and a Call for Peace in 2025

Time Magazine should have named WAR instead of Donald Trump as “Person of the Year.” In 2024, war propaganda took center stage in political and international relations, dominating the discourse and shaping global actions. All forms of conflict—whether it be…

When Homes Were Turned Into Huts

There is something strange about the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which occurs a few days after Yom Kippur. One is required to leave one’s usual home and move to temporary, flimsy huts exposed to the vagaries of the weather. The…

The Leading Edge of Global Heat – Arabian Peninsula

Major portions of the Arabian Peninsula are already exceeding 2°C above pre-industrial and likely headed for a staggering temperature rise over the coming decades. This disturbing news comes via a major new study by Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious university. The…

What Hannukah teaches about violence

Biblical accounts teem with violent episodes. Just a few days ago, we read in the synagogue the story of Jacob’s two sons, Levi and Simeon, massacring the entire male population of a city in a devious scheme using a religious…

What’s Left in Latin American and the Caribbean: Year 2024 in Review

The progressive regional current, the “Pink Tide,” could be better called “troubled waters” in 2024. The tide had already slackened by 2023 compared to its rise in 2022, when it was buoyed by big wins in Colombia and Brazil. Then,…

Israelis Invade Syria: Who Will Stop Israel?

The United States, Turkey and Israel all responded to the fall of the Assad government in Damascus by launching bombing campaigns on Syria. Israel also attacked and destroyed most of the Syrian Navy in port at Latakia, and invaded Syria from the…

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